Choosing Categories FAQ

Why are these categories different from the ones in the Publisher?

Since 2013, we have been using an updated (and ever-growing) category set that we call Feature Graph. It contains over 22,000 unique categories. It is used to power cleaner search results and our own internal research.

What kinds of categories can I assign?

We have 2 primary areas: Objects and Brands. Object covers what a product is generically — a house, a tiger, a smartphone. Brand covers the manufacturers and IP contained within a product — Apple iPhone 6s, West Elm furniture, Hyundai.  You can also use the categories Real-Time, Collections, and Cartoon.

How many categories should I use?

There is no set limit to how many categories you use. All we ask is that they are accurate. The vast majority of TurboSquid products have a single category. You can look to your past products’ categories to get an idea of what you could use.  For Brands, you should assign as many as are accurate.  

I gave my product categories, but they were changed. Why?

As with all past products, TurboSquid adjusts all categories for accuracy. We will remove any that are not appropriate or are used as spam. It is unfair to other artists to leave spam categories. If you think TurboSquid erred in removing a category, please contact us at breadcrumbs@turbosquid.com

How do the categories work?

As mentioned above, the newer categories are a greatly expanded version of the old category system. It is hierarchical in nature, which means each step of a breadcrumb means greater specificity. This way, a customer can navigate directly to a more accurate search result. Say, for example, you are publishing a model of an Orangutan. Your category should be “Nature → Animal → Mammals → Land Mammals → Primates → Ape → Orangutan”. This means that your model will appear in search results for “Nature,” “Animal,” “Mammals,” and so on.  

Since we released Feature Graph, we have categorized over 500,000 TurboSquid products. This gives us incredible insights into our catalog and powers search suggestions, featured images for categories, related products on the product page, and so on. For another example of the new capabilities of the Feature Graph categories, see below.

I chose a category for my product, but it had a different name when I saved it. Why?

In addition to featuring greater depth and breadth than the traditional categories, the new Feature Graph categories can contain multiple synonyms for the same entry. Some examples would be “Elevator” vs “Lift,” or “Volkwagen” vs “VW.” For a category as simple as “Backpack,” we offer the following: “Backpack,” “Rucksack,” “Backpacks,” “Knapsack,” and “Bookbag.” In all instances, your product will be placed in the same category and if customers search for any of those synonyms, they will be directed to the same result set.

I cannot find the category I want.

This happens occasionally if either it is an entirely new product, say in the case of a new technology company, or we simply don’t feature it.  If you try different synonyms for your category, but still cannot find anything, assign as closely as possible. Then you can email us at breadcrumbs@turbosquid.com to let us know what we have missed. We want to understand everything in our catalog, so please let us know where we have holes.  For example, if you have created a model of medical equipment that you think deserves its own category, you should choose “medical equipment” from the tool and then message us. We will determine if the new category is warranted.

Why are there fewer categories when I save than what I have chosen?

We automatically remove any duplicate categories that you might have chosen. So in the previous example, if you had added “Ape” and “Orangutan,” “Ape” would be removed.

Need help? See our step -by-step walk-through of how to use the tool.